MAD Lions has won its first match of the 2021 League of Legends European Championship Spring Playoffs against Rogue. MAD Lions will move on in the upper bracket to face G2 Esports, with the winner moving onto the finals undefeated. 

In finishing 2nd and 3rd, respectively, in the 2021 LEC Spring Split, Rogue and MAD Lions were matched against one another in the upper bracket of the post-season. Rogue was the higher seed and held a 2-0 head-to-head record against MAD Lions in the spring split, but MAD showcased superior teamfighting and map play throughout the series to take the win.

In previous meetings, Rogue would be able to stabilize against the chaotic style of MAD Lions with superior fundamentals, but when MAD followed up catching Rogue offbalance with improved fundamentals of its own, it was clear who the superior team was in the matchup. 

That doesn't mean Rogue made it easy, however. With a 5k gold lead in the mid-game of game 4, it looked as if Rogue would repeat FC Schalke 04 Esports' throwing of the gauntlet against G2 Esports yesterday and force a game 5.

However, MAD Lions continued to destabilize the game and outfought Rogue time after time, particularly around the Urgot of top laner İrfan Berk "Armut"  Tükek. Trevor "Quickshot" Henry, who was the play-by-play caster for the series, called it one of the most impressive comebacks he had ever seen. 

While MAD will move on to face G2, Rogue will have to prepare for a new set of challenges in the lower bracket. Fnatic, who eliminated SK Gaming from the post-season in the first lower bracket match, will face off against Schalke 04 to see who faces Rogue next. 

The winner of Rogue vs. Fnatic or Schalke will move on to face the loser of the upper bracket match between G2 Esports and MAD Lions. The team left standing at the end of that bout will face either G2 or MAD in the finals of the LEC Spring Playoffs to see who will represent Europe at the 2021 Mid-Season Invitational.